On Sunday, a horse carrying four people, went down late Sunday afternoon at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue. Animal lovers have often argued that such incidents show that horses are being forced to work long and arduous hours without proper care.However, Mayor Bloomberg argued that animals - like human beings - get old, but that was not a reason to stop hansom cab rides.

"They're animals and animals and human beings, eventually, we all unfortunately stop continuing and it's unfortunate when it happens, but that doesn't mean that you stop doing things. You just want to make sure that they're well treated," he said.

The group says the horse was inspected by the ASPCA after the incident was "determined to be healthy, alert and no worse for his brief moment in the activists' spotlight."

Bloomberg says that he cares for the well-being of the Central Park horses, but stressed how much tourists love them and that they were a New York City tradition.

"There's enormous demand and we want to keep things going in this city that tourists like and I think they add something to the charm of New York City and when I see them, they all look pretty healthy to me," he said.